Few things interest politicians more than the way they are elected. But finding a system that most can agree on continues to elude MEPs.
One of the innovations in the Lisbon Treaty was that MEP seats are divided between the EU-27 according to the principle of so-called "degressive proportionality".
At the moment, that means that the number of seats ranges from the six held by Luxembourg and Malta to Germany's 96.
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Already a member? Login hereBenjamin Fox is a seasoned reporter and editor, previously working for fellow Brussels publication Euractiv. His reporting has also been published in the Guardian, the East African, Euractiv, Private Eye and Africa Confidential, among others. He heads up the AU-EU section at EUobserver, based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Benjamin Fox is a seasoned reporter and editor, previously working for fellow Brussels publication Euractiv. His reporting has also been published in the Guardian, the East African, Euractiv, Private Eye and Africa Confidential, among others. He heads up the AU-EU section at EUobserver, based in Nairobi, Kenya.